The first Shadowhunter Saturday is here! Where Ellie (Read to Ramble) and i are discussing our journey through the world of the Shadowhunters! If you missed our announcement you can find all the details about this collaboration Here.
The first section is my spoiler free mini review of what I thought of the book followed by my interview of Ellie and her Thoughts. If you would like to see my answers to the interview questions and Ellie’s mini review you can find it one her blog Here.
Title: City of Bones
Author: Cassandra Clare
Series: The Mortal instruments
3 stars
From Goodreads:
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know…
My Thoughts
So I originally read this book in 2017 and had real mixed thoughts about it I gave it 2 stars and the following review on GoodReads:
I went into this book knowing it would not be the peak of the literary world. I didn’t want it to be. I enjoyed this book because it is the literary equivalent of a Burger King bacon double cheese burger…. not the best thing in the world for you but it sure as hell tastes good at the time and it surprisingly moreish. This was a reading slump buster it got me reading again and at pace because it it simple and flows, with a little cringe thrown in for good measure. There is nothing wrong with delighting in such books once in a while.
I still sticking by this. It is a big old Cheeseburger of a book and that’s what makes it awesome. My rating this time has gone up not because I think anything more about the plot or the character development and world-building but more that I just had so much more fun buddy-reading it. This is a book made for buddy-reading, for texting your friend when you reach eyeroll moments or sending gifs when a plot twist hits. I did a lot of that during this read and it really is a book made for that kind of interaction. There is always something happening, a twist or turn and that what makes this such a fun and engaging read. It takes it from those groan out loud cheese moments into a book you cant put down. Sometime you just need a read like this to dive into and have fun.
I genuinely just enjoyed it a bit more, i looked over the plot holes a little more and gave some of the characters a bit of a break and just enjoyed myself.
SPOILER ALERT! – The next section is full of Spoilers where I ask Ellie about what she thought of the book. We discuss key plot points and give away lots of detail so if you don’t want to read spoilers.
I ASKED ELLIE SOME QUESTIONS
Fi: Who was your favourite character? Why?
Ellie: I think my favourite character was Simon actually! I found Clary to be a bit immature at times, and I didn’t really like how she treated Simon at the start of the book, but I feel like Simon brought out a lot of good things from other characters. He seems really level-headed, he has his own funny side, but he cares about Clary so much and would do anything for her, I found that really sweet. I want to learn more about him, I think he’s a great character!
Fi: What character would you like to see more of in the series?
Ellie: Ohhh, I think maybe Isabelle? I got annoyed with Isabelle and Clary a few times in the book because of their behaviour towards one another, but she changed a lot by the end – or should I say, she came out of her shell, I feel like I want to learn more about her, she fascinates me for some reason.
Fi: What was your favourite moment?
Ellie: I have to admit, I have a few. I liked the picnic moment with Clary and Jace in the greenhouse, but then with what we learn later I was a bit shocked and found that moment a bit less “good” aha! But I also really liked the scene in the library with Jace, Clary and Hodge when Valentine comes to get Cup! I was really not expecting it and read that scene as fast as I could because I couldn’t believe it and wanted to throttle Hodge. And finally, the battle bit at the end was cool!
Fi: What do you think is going to happen next?
Ellie: I have no idea, this book surprised me so much, I wasn’t expecting anything that happened and the things I suspected would happen didn’t aha! I suppose it will just go on from where it ended and maybe Alec, Isabelle, Clary, Jace and Simon will get to know one another more, will go on a new mission, and I suppose Clary will learn everything about Shadowhunters. I’m curious to see Clary’s mum wake up and for her to meet the other Shadowhunters.
Fi: What did you think of the romance?
Ellie: Well… Uhm, I was completely rooting for them after the picnic scene, I was a bit surprised because I wasn’t really expecting it. I knew from the start that Simon liked Clary, wasn’t expecting a love triangle though, and then with that last reveal, I was sort of yucked-out. After that point the whole “romance angle” made me feel sick aha! I’m also worried that Clary is going to fall back on Simon when she hasn’t felt the same way about him as he does about her – it wouldn’t be fair to him to fall in love with him all of a sudden just because Jace isn’t who she thought he was. Make sense?
What ELLIE Thought About the Plot
Clary finding out she is a shadowhunter
Ellie: It sort of just happened didn’t it? I guessed right from when she met Jace, Isabelle and Alec that she obviously wasn’t a mundane. I don’t know, it felt a bit underwhelming cause you can guess that’s what is going to happen. And I felt that she took it a bit too easily, like it all clicked into place when Hodge and the other Shadowhunters explained stuff to her, maybe it was a bit too convenient for my liking.
Luke abandoning CLary
Ellie:I was surprised about this and a bit angry at Luke, but at that point we didn’t really know much about him. I was more surprised about him being in his bookshop with Valentine’s men to be honest. I still thought it was a bit shitty of him.
Simon becomes a rat
Ellie:One of the biggest shocks I’ve had in my life! I did not expect it AT ALL and I was totally hooked from that point on, before I was just pushing through, enjoying it a bit and rolling my eyes a lot, but when that happened I became really invested and loved it from then! I didn’t even think that type of shapeshifting was possible, but I thought it was great!!
The Clary/Jace Romance
Ellie:I didn’t really expect this either honestly. A few times I thought there was something between the two but it was almost like Clary was imagining things, and then when it happened I wasn’t that surprised, but still a bit. And then I was completely rooting for them, until we discovered that they were siblings.
Finding the Mortal Cup
Ellie: I love a good mission in a fantasy series, and this one was no exception, I thought it was a great plot twist, but I also thought it was a bit too easy, I would have prefered more of a build-up, I felt like they were just going along with their lives and all of a sudden they started running around being Shadowhunters and bringing the Cup back. I also didn’t think that they showed much interest in finding it until Clary drew Jace with the runes and could touch the feathers inside the drawing, and then hey-presto. Yeah, I felt it was a bit too easy.
Hodge’s betrayal
Ellie: I didn’t expect it and I was so annoyed at him when it was revealed that he was a baddie! I thought he was a bit like all these great wizards in other magic books that have so much wisdom and are cryptic, but always turn out to be great people, and I was shocked when this didn’t happen here. Looking back, I’m sure there were clues, but I thought it was a great plot twist and it really made the story move forward, I just wish Luke would have mangled him a bit more lol.
Luke is a werewolf
Ellie: I didn’t expect this either, I honestly forgot about the whole werewolf thing until the pack arrived at the Vampire’s lair, and then I forgot them again until the wolf tackled Hodge in the alleyway. I was so focused on the Shadowhunter and demon bit that I forgot they weren’t the only creatures, so it definitely surprised me (I’ve said that a million times already but I was surprised!). It was an interesting plot twist and hopefully, we’ll learn more about it in the next book!
Clary kissed her Brother!!! – incest plotline?!?
Ellie: Well, Clary kissing Jace was okay before we found out they were brother and sister and I thought this plot twist was YUCKY! I could never have predicted that this was the big reveal, and it felt so strange, I was expecting the author to be like NO JUST JOKING LOL! But she didn’t and when I closed the book and realised all the implications and saw everything that happened through this reveal, I was rather shocked. I’ve never read an incest plotline so I’m finding it weird to, not deal with, but sort of to comprehend, like why would the author write that? Lol, I hope there aren’t more yucky plot twists like that in the next books!
Her mother getting kidnapped and Clary going after her – when is she going to wake up?
Ellie: I thought Clary had forgotten about her mum and the Cup for ages when they were off doing other things, and even though I knew they were trying to save her mum and find the Cup, it was almost like they also didn’t care, if you know what I mean. And then they found her, and she still didn’t wake up! I thought this was a better way to end the book because in most books like this, the character always wakes up and everything is fine and dandy, but it sort of made it better and more believable for her to still be asleep and no one knows why. I hope she is going to wake up though, I just worry she’ll go back in a type of coma when she learns about Jace aha!
If you want to read my answers to the questions and read Ellie’s mini review you can find them all on Ellie’s Blog Read To Ramble
We also would love to know what you thought. If you have read City of bones let us know your answers to the questions! and come discuss the world of the shadow hunters in the comments!
I would love to chat all things bookish with you! You can comment down below or find me on Twitter or Goodreads!
Happy Reading!
Fi's Bibliofiles 
LOVE THIS!!!!! Yassss, ahaha, I’m so happy we did this, can’t wait for book 2 and more eye-rolls and gifs! xx
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Me too!!!! We need to find out if Jocelyn wakes up!
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Yes! And what Valentine is going to do with the Cup! 😱 Well, is he going to pull it off?
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Brilliant post! I also wasn’t the biggest fan of city of bones, I agree it’s a bit like a cheeseburger haha. I don’t know why it didn’t click, Clary can definitely be a little immature (/annoying…). Here’s my review of it: 🙂
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